A bus bar distributes electrical power using a metallic strip or bar to conduct electricity. Bus bars are designed to reduce power loss contributed by the skin effect, where currents tend to only flow on the outer surface of the conductor, by using a larger surface area compared to wires. The material composition and cross-sectional size of the bus bar determines the maximum amount of current that can be safely carried. Bus bars are typically formed from conductors including copper, brass, or aluminum, and are designed to conduct high current loads. Bus bars are produced in a variety of shapes such as flat strips, solid bars and rods, solid or hollow tubes, twisted wires, and braided wire. Some of these shapes allow heat to dissipate more efficiently due to their high surface area to cross-sectional area ratio. The skin effect makes 50-60 Hertz (Hz) alternating current (AC) bus bars more than about 8 millimeters (0.31 in) thickness inefficient, so hollow or flat shapes are prevalent at high frequencies in higher current applications. A bus bar may either be supported on insulators, or else insulation may completely surround the bus bar. Bus bars may be connected to each other and to electrical apparatus by bolted, clamped, thermal bond, or welded connections. Often, joints between high-current bus sections have precisely-machined matching surfaces that are silver-plated to reduce the contact resistance.
Bus bars are often used in assemblies and applications where the bus bar is required to make extreme twists and bends to make required electrical connections in a limited space. In addition, a flattened rectangular cross section is often required for applications where a traditional round conductor, twisted wire conductor, or braided conductor would not fit, such as in electric vehicle applications.
Thus, there exists a need for an electrical conducting cable that transitions from a round cross section to a flat cross sectional area to negotiate tight spaces where a rounded conductor would not fit.